The Ride
'"The Ride" '''is the 9th episode of Part 1 of Season 6 of the HBO original series ''The Sopranos. ''It is the 74th overall episode of the series. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Alan Taylor, it originally aired on May 7, 2006. Starring * James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano * Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi * Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano * Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti * Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr. * * Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante * Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri * Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr. * Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano * Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano Baccalieri * Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri * Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo * John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco * Ray Abruzzo as Little Carmine Lupertazzi * Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi ''* = credit only Guest starring * Edoardo Ballerini as Corky Caporale * John Bianco as Gerry Torciano * Cara Buono as Kelli Lombardo Moltisanti * Carl Capotorto as Little Paulie Germani * Max Casella as Benny Fazio * John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia as Albie Cianflone * Miryam Coppersmith as Sophia Baccalieri * Tony Darrow as Larry Boy Barese * William DeMeo as Jason Molinaro * Jonathan Del Arco as Father Jose * Frances Ensemplare as Nucci Gualtieri * Louis Gross as Perry Annunziata * Will Janowitz as Finn DeTrolio * Brianna and Kimberly Laughlin as Domenica Baccalieri * Julianna Margulies as Julianna Skiff * Angelo Massagli as Bobby Baccalieri, Jr. * Patty McCormack as Liz La Cerva * Arthur Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi * Artie Pasquale as Burt Gervasi * Lenny Venito as James "Murmur" Zancone * T.R. Shields III as Dale Hutchins * Vic Noto as Viper * Jeremy Schwartz as Biker #1 * Sylvia Kauders as Mrs. Conte * Sal Darigo as Old Man * Tanya P. as The Virgin Mary * Lou Di Gennaro as Judge * Sonny Passero as Man in Crowd * Francis W. Erigo as Old Woman in Church * Liz Ross as Nurse (voice) * Barry Sigismondi as Dr. Cipolla (voice) * Crazy Legs Conti as Himself Episode recap In preparation for the annual Feast of Elzéar of Sabran, Paulie and Patsy visit their local church and learn that the new priest, Father José, wants to raise the fee provided to the parish to $50,000. When Paulie refuses to pay, Father José tells them they will not be able to use the traditional golden hat worn put on the statue of the saint. Chris is told by his girlfriend, Kelli, that she is pregnant. She tells Chris she will get an abortion, but he instead suggests they get married in Atlantic City. Chris mentions how much he wanted to have a child with Adriana, and tells Kelli that his ex is probably having some "other guy's babies now." Later, Chris enters the Bada Bing, where the surprised crew offer a toast to his new family. Chris and Kelli impulsively purchase a large house. On their way home from a trip to Pennsylvania, Chris and Tony make a bathroom stop and witness two bikers stealing crates of 1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wine from a liquor store. As the two bikers go back into the store, Chris and Tony plunder their wine, moving the crates into Tony's SUV. When the bikers re-emerge, Chris holds them at gunpoint. As he and Tony speed away, Chris exchanges gunfire with one of the bikers, who is wounded. As the pair celebrate their adrenaline-fueled escapade at a restaurant, Chris decides to break his abstinence from drinking when Tony toasts to his wedding. Later, as they drink more of the wine in the parking lot, the two men reminisce about how Tony protected Chris and how Adriana died as a result of his and Tony's actions. Tony and Christopher both profess their love for one another. At the feast, Tony and Phil work out a deal where they agree to split the profits for the illicit distribution of Centrum multivitamins confiscated by Tony's crew. Phil's stipulation is that Johnny be left out of the transaction. Carmela encounters Adriana's mother Liz, who claims that the FBI has told her that Chris murdered her daughter. Carmela initially brushes off her suggestion, but asks Tony about it the next day. He insists that it would have been impossible for Chris to have gotten away with killing his fiancée. Meanwhile, Chris pays Corky for the hit on Rusty, part of which includes heroin. Chris ends up using heroin and esctasy with Corky, spending the night vomiting and in a stoned stupor. He bonds with a stray dog at the feast. Several parishioners notice that the statue is missing its gold hat, and word begins to spread that Paulie scrimped on the planning of the festival. His frugal ways are blamed for an accident on a ride that leaves several people injured. Little Paulie is left to deal with the police investigation. Janice and her daughter Domenica were on the ride and unhurt, but Janice pretends to develop a neck injury hearing Meadow suggest that the injured should be compensated monetarily. Janice presses Bobby to get the money. After threatening the ride operator, Bobby learns Paulie was the one who chose to forgo financing the maintenance for the ride. In session with Dr. Melfi, Tony laments about people lining up for thrill rides. Asked by Melfi if he's bored, Tony claims he continues to feel that every day is a gift, but "does it have to be a pair of socks?" Paulie refuses to pay Bobby at the feast, resulting in a feud. He also runs into Nucci, who points out how his cheap spending was not only wrong but sinful; Paulie swears at her and departs, leaving his adoptive mother crying in the street. At Chris' belated bachelor party there is noticeable lingering tension between Paulie and Bobby, who excuses himself from the dinner early. In the restroom, Tony finds Paulie and demands he work things out with Bobby, which prompts Paulie to disclose his medical concerns to Tony. Tony tries to calm him down and tells him not to be pessimistic. At the feast, Domenica Baccalieri cries, anxious to go on the tea cup ride again. As an exasperated Janice looks on, Tony placates Nica, picking her up into his arms, swinging her around as she giggles and laughs. At home, Paulie is unable to sleep, then calls his urologist's answering service in the middle of the night. He is informed his doctor is out of town. The next morning, after seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary at the Bada Bing!, a shaken Paulie visits Nucci at Green Grove. She warns him that she does not want to argue; Paulie enters her room and sits down to watch The Lawrence Welk Show on TV with her. Trivia *When Christopher describes the house he's planning to buy as 'Stately Wayne Manor' he's quoting the 1960s TV version of Batman, whose narrator described the Caped Crusader's mansion in precisely those words. Category:Episodes Category:The Sopranos episodes Category:Season Six